Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu warned of the dangerous situation in Afghanistan, expecting a civil war after the withdrawal of NATO forces. He noted that during the 20 years of NATO's presence in the country, the alliance failed to achieve any tangible results in establishing strong state institutions. Shoigu added, "It is expected with a high degree of probability that civil war will resume in Afghanistan after NATO forces withdraw, bringing with it peaceful consequences, including continued deterioration of people's living conditions, mass migration, and the spread of extremism to neighboring countries."
The minister emphasized that the Russian side had repeatedly called for increased efforts and a coordinated policy on this issue during the time NATO forces were in Afghanistan, stating, "However, the Russian aversion to the alliance has exceeded pragmatism, and today urgent actions must be taken to address the situation in the country." Shoigu stressed the necessity of utilizing the capabilities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to make progress on this matter.
It is noted that the Taliban took control of the border crossing between Afghanistan and Tajikistan on Tuesday. After the U.S. Department of Defense announced on Monday that the pace of its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan could slow down if the Taliban continued to make territorial gains, the Taliban announced its control of the Maiwand area in Kandahar. On Monday, the Taliban took control of a key area in Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan, besieging the administrative capital, according to police, adding to the insurgent group’s series of recent victories. Fighting erupted around the Imam Sahib district on Sunday evening, and by Monday afternoon, the Taliban had stormed the district headquarters and had also taken control of the police station, as reported by the regional police spokesman Anamuddin Rahmani.
